In the inside of an automatic vending machine or the like, there is a coin processing device that determines whether inserted coins are genuine or not, sorts and stores the inserted coins considered as genuine coins, and pays out the sorted and stored coins in accordance with the amount of change or the like. FIG. 10 is a diagram that schematically illustrates such a coin processing device.
A coin processing device 1 typically includes: a coin sorter 2 that determines whether inserted coins are genuine or not and sorts the inserted coins according to denomination; a coin storage unit 3 that stores the inserted coins sorted by the coin sorter 2 for every denomination; and a coin payout unit 4 for selecting and paying out coins according to the amount of change or the like from the coin storage unit 3.
In many coin processing devices 1, presently, the coin sorter 2 has a temporary coin withholding mechanism that temporary withholds the inserted coins before storing the inserted coins in a coin storage unit 3.
In the case of a coin processing device 1 without the temporary coin withholding mechanism, when a coin inserted in the coin processing device 1 is determined as a genuine coin by the coin sorter 2, the inserted coin is directly stored in the coin storage unit 3. Therefore, when a coin is inserted into an automatic vending machine or the like equipped with the coin processing device 1 and a coin return lever or the like is then operated to return the coin without purchasing a product, the inserted coin itself is not returned. Instead, a coin to be paid out is any of coins stored in the coin storage unit 3 and equal in amount to the inserted coin. In such a coin processing device 1, if a sophisticated counterfeit coin that is realistic enough to be deemed a genuine coin is inserted and a coin return lever or the like is then operated to return the coin without purchasing a product, any genuine coin stored in the coin storage unit 3 is paid out instead of the inserted counterfeit coin itself. In other words, the so-called coin-switching phenomenon occurs.
On the other hand, a coin processing device 1 equipped with a temporary coin withholding mechanism, inserted coins are determined as genuine coins by the coin sorter 2 and then temporally withheld in the temporary coin withholding mechanism before being stored in the coin storage unit 3. Subsequently, when a coin is inserted into the automatic vending machine or the lie equipped with the coin processing device and a coin return lever or the like is then operated to return the coin without purchasing a product, a coin temporary withheld by the temporary coin withholding mechanism, which is just the inserted coin itself, can be returned. Therefore, even if a sophisticated counterfeit coin that is realistic enough to be deemed a genuine coin is inserted and a coin return lever or the like is then operated to return the coin without purchasing a product, the coin processing device 1 having the temporary coin withholding mechanism will not cause any coin switching phenomenon.
In Patent Document 1 (JP 2002-63628 A), a temporary coin withholding mechanism installed in a conventional coin processing device is disclosed. Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14, the temporary coin withholding mechanism installed in the conventional coin processing device will be described.
FIG. 11 is a schematic front view of a coin sorter 2 of the conventional coin processing device 1. The coin sorter 2 is configured to sort genuine coins and false coins of four different types, A-type coins (500-yen coins), B-type coins (10-yen coins), C-type coins (100-yen coins), and D-coins (50-yen coins). The types of coins inserted from an insertion opening 21 of the coin sorter 2 are determined by a coin determination means placed on a coin discrimination route 22. Depending on the types, a genuine/false coin distributing lever 24 and a plurality of denomination distributing lever 25, which are placed on the downstream of the coin discrimination route 22, sort the coins into a false coin ejection route and coin sorting routes provided for only guiding coins of the respective denominations. In the coin sorter 2, a temporary coin withholding mechanism 5 is placed on each of the downstream end of a A-type coin sorting route 261 for guiding A-type coins (500-yen coins) and the downstream end of a C-type coin sorting route 262 for guiding C-type coins (100-yen coins). In most cases, the conventional coin processing device 1 includes the temporary coin withholding mechanisms 5 respectively placed on two coin sorting routes of comparatively high-denomination coins.
FIG. 12 is a schematic front view of the coin sorter of the conventional coin processing device, where (a) illustrates the state in which coins are temporary withheld in the A-type coin sorting route 261 and (b) illustrates the state in which coins are temporary withheld in the C-type coin sorting route 262. In this example, the A-type coin sorting route 261 can temporary withhold three coins and the C-type coin sorting route 262 can temporary withhold four coins in the C-type coin-sorting route 262.
FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional diagram of the principal part of the conventional temporary coin withholding mechanism 5, which is placed on the downstream end of the A-type coin-sorting route 261, and the periphery thereof, where (a) illustrates the state in which a coin withholding lever 71 temporary withholds coins and (b) illustrates the state in which the coin withholding lever 71 releases coins. The temporary coin withholding mechanism 5 includes a driving means (not shown), such as a solenoid, and a coin withholding lever 71 having a lower protrusion 71a and an upper protrusion 71b. Then, the coin withholding lever 71 is rotated about its lateral axis 71c as a pivot point to cause the lower protrusion 71a and the upper protrusion 71b of the lever 71 protrude into the coin sorting route 261 or retract from the coin sorting route 261 through a hole 261a formed in the lateral side of the A-type coin sorting route 261.
In the initial state, as illustrated in FIG. 13(a), the coin withholding lever 71 is biased counterclockwise around its axis 71c as a pivot point and stopped. As a result, the lower protrusion 71b protrudes into the A-type coin sorting route 261 and the upper protrusion 71b thereof is retracted from the A-type coin sorting route 261 (withholding position of the coin withholding lever). In this initial state, a coin guided in the coin sorting route 261 is blocked by the lower protrusion 71a of the coin withholding lever 71, which protrudes into the A-type coin sorting route 261, and then temporary withheld therein. A subsequent coin guided in the A-type coin sorting route 261 is also blocked by the coin previously withheld, and then temporary withheld therein. In this way, a plurality of coins is temporary withheld in the A-type coin sorting route 261 one after the other. Here, the number of coins which can be temporary withheld depends on the size of the coins and the length of the coin sorting route 261.
If the coin withholding lever 71 is rotated clockwise around its axis 71c as a pivot point by the driving means such as a solenoid while a plurality of coins is temporary withheld in the A-type coin storing route 261, as illustrated in FIG. 13(b), the lower protrusion 71a is retracted from the A-type coin sorting route 261 and the upper protrusion 71b protrudes into the A-type coin sorting route 261 (release position of the coin withholding lever). As a consequence, the coin which has been blocked by the lower protrusion 71a of the coin withholding lever 71 is unblocked and released to the downstream. Then, the coin immediately after the coin which has been blocked by the lower protrusion 71a of the coin withholding lever 71 is blocked by the upper protrusion 7b protruded into the coin sorting route 261. Therefore, the coins are remained in being temporary withheld in the A-type coin sorting route. Subsequently, if the coin withholding lever 71 is returned to the initial state (withholding position of the coin withholding lever) illustrated in FIG. 13(a), the upper protrusion 71b is retracted from the A-type coin sorting route 261, and the lower protrusion 71a protrudes into the A-type coin sorting route 261. Consequently, the coin, which has been blocked by the upper protrusion 71b, is unblocked and falls down, and is then blocked by the lower protrusion 71a protruded into the A-type coin sorting route 261 and temporary withheld therein. By repeating such an operation, coins can be intermittently released one by one.
A temporary coin withholding mechanism provided on the downstream end of the C-type coin sorting route 262 is basically the same temporary coin withholding mechanism as one provided on the downstream end of the A-type coin sorting route except of differences in the shape of the lower protrusion of the coin withholding lever and the like.
FIG. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram illustrating coin sorting levers 281 and 282 placed on the downstream the temporary coin withholding mechanism 5, where (a) illustrates the state in which a coin is sorted into a coin return outlet, (b) illustrates the state in which a coin is sorted into a coin tube of a coin storage unit, (c) illustrates the state where a coin is sorted into a cashbox. As illustrated in this figure, a coin released from the temporary coin withholding mechanism 5 is sorted into any one of the coin return outlet, the coin tube of the coin storage unit, and the cashbox of the coin storage unit by two coin sorting levers 281 and 282 provided on the downstream side of the temporary coin withholding mechanism.
The conventional temporary coin withholding mechanism described above is configured such that one driving means such as a solenoid is provided for each coin withholding lever and the coin withholding levers are independently driven by different driving means. In contrast, Patent Document 2 (JP 2009-238184 A) discloses a temporary coin withholding mechanism that drives two coin withholding levers by a single solenoid.